General Grants – Kent County

Since 1922, we've made more than $170 million in grants that foster academic achievement, build economic prosperity, achieve healthy ecosystems, promote health, support the arts and social enrichment, and create vibrant neighborhoods.

Nonprofit organizations and public agencies can apply for funding from the Community Foundation using these application guidelines for our general grant fund (also called the Fund for Community Good).

Based on the grants we have already approved and those in process, we anticipate limited grant dollars available in the Fund for Community Good for the remainder of the fiscal year (ending June 30, 2013). 

As a result, the Community Foundation is placing a focus on certain priorities. Projects that address the following priorities will be given preference over applications that would otherwise qualify under our traditional grantmaking guidelines:

• Economic Prosperity - Ensure that people achieve stable employment, affordable quality housing and ongoing financial stability
• Healthy Ecosystems - Protect sustainable and healthy ecosystems, and support productive and efficient use of land and resources
• Healthy People - Address risk factors for chronic preventable diseases and persistent disparities by ethnicity and/or socioeconomic status
• Social Enrichment - Promote inclusion
• Vibrant Neighborhoods - Support affordable quality housing options

Projects that address our other grantmaking priorities will be considered, but will only be approved if they are highly collaborative, leverage substantial financial resources from other sources, have a significant community impact and express a clear plan for sustainability.

For a complete list of grantmaking priorities, please review the Community Foundation’s Novah Grantmaking Framework. Top preference priorities are bolded in purple.

If you believe your project is a fit, we hope that you will consider submitting a pre-application here.

Special Funds

Grand Rapids Community Foundation also has a variety of special projects, mini-grant programs, and initiatives that may invite proposals at different times of the year. These grantmaking efforts are narrowly tailored to promote change around a particular issue or geographic area. These opportunities are released and publicized periodically through our website and through targeted communications.  For additional information about these opportunities, please visit the following pages:

• Access Camps - Available to West Michigan camps for specific efforts to increase access to overnight camps for underserved Kent County children.
• Community Funds - There are six different local funds in Cascade, Ionia, Lowell, Sparta, Southeast Ottawa and Wyoming providing grants to these specific geographic locations.
• Good Classrooms Minigrants - Awards grants to schools, classrooms and students that support academic achievement in Grand Rapids.
• Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund - Designed to address the need for capacity building and technical assistance among nonprofits in Kent County.
• Youth Funds - For nonprofit organizations with programs that benefit young people in Kent, Ionia and Southeast Ottawa counties.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the grant application process, please email grcfgrants@grfoundation.org or call 616.454.1751.